User:Cinematix/John DeCuir, Jr.

John deCuir, Jr.John has designed film and entertainment attractions  in Italy, Spain, France, England, Ireland, Japan, Canada, and throughout the United States. He began  his  architectural  design  studies  by  apprenticing  in  the  20th Century  Fox  Art Department,  working  on  films  which  included  the  KING  &  I  and  SOUTH  PACIFIC. In Rome, Italy  he  worked  on  CLEOPATRA  (which  won  an  Academy  Award  for  best  film design),  AGONY  AND  THE  ECSTACY  AND  TAMING  OF  THE  SHREW. Upon leaving  the  Coast  Guard,  he  joined  WALT  DISNEY  to  work  on  projects  which included  façade  and graphics  design  on  MAIN  STREET  DISNEYLAND,  interior design onthe  CONTEMPORARY  AND  POLYNIESIAN  HOTELS  AT  WALT  DISNEY  WORLD  and  master planning and attraction design  for  EPCOT. Specific shows and films  he developed  while at Disney were MISSION TO MARS, HALL OF PRESIDENTS, SPACE MOUNTAIN POST SHOW,SPACE SHIP EARTH, 3-D MUPPET MOVIE AND ELLEN’S ENERGY ADVENTURE In the 90’s  John’s master planning and architectural skills were called into play by  the MITSUBISHI  organization  to  head  up  a  six million dollar  design  development program for  a  themed  water  park  in  Japan,  a  project  which  anticipated  TOKYO  DISNEY  SEA. Another significant commission came from ARPA  &  SPRINT  who asked  him  to provide concepts for a leading edge communication center. In 2009  John  worked  with  WET  (Water  Entertainment  Technologies)  authors  of  the Bellagio and  Dubai  fountains  as  a  concept  designer  for  several  of  their  emerging projects. John has  lectured  on  film  design  at COLUMBIA  COLLEGE  CHICAGO,  ASBURY  UNIVERSITY  and  taught  film  design  for  two years at USC SCHOOL OF CINEMA and three years at the AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE. Films which John designed include TOP  GUN,  GHOSTBUSTERS,  SISTER  ACT  II  and many others. He is currently completing his book THE ARCHITECTURE OF ILLUSION.